The reference
What Dollar Shave Club costs and includes
Dollar Shave Club sells razors, cartridges, and grooming products on a subscription. You start with a set, choose how often refills arrive, and add shave aids like Shave Butter or Prep Scrub to the same delivery. If you’re weighing Dollar Shave Club competitors, start with the part you want to change: the blade, the price, or what else comes in the box.
- Starter set
- The No Frills Starter Set is $13: a Diamond Grip handle, one Signature 6-Blade cartridge, and 1 oz of Shave Butter. The Fully Loaded set, at $39.99, adds Prep Scrub, Post Shave Dew, and a travel case.
- Refills
- A 4-pack of Signature 6-Blade cartridges is $10, and the Classic 4-Blade is $8.50. The No Frills refill pairs four 6-blade cartridges with 3 oz of Shave Butter, about $16 at list prices.
- Schedule
- Every month, or every two, three, four, or six months. Each product runs as its own subscription, and you can skip, pause, or cancel from your account.
- Shipping
- Free on orders of $18 or more, and $4 below that. Starter sets ship free.
- On Cratejoy
- No. Dollar Shave Club sells direct, and none of the picks below are Dollar Shave Club products.
Compare the picks
| Box | Best fit | Cost and commitment | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar Shave Club Reference |
Blades and shave aids on one flexible schedule | $13 starter set, then about $16 a refill box. Skip or cancel anytime. | Every 1 to 6 months, your choice. Free shipping from $18. |
| Harry’s | The closest razor swap | $10 starter set, then about $25 for 8 Plus cartridges. Subscribers save 5%. | Every 2, 3, or 6 months. Free shipping on subscriptions from $15. |
| Tranquil Rose Men’s Shave & Grooming Box | Prep, lather, and aftercare in one box | $80 a box, or $69.75 a box on a 12-month plan. | Every 3 months. New orders ship in 3–5 business days. |
| Henson AL13 | A razor you buy once, with low-cost blades | $89 razor, then $9.99 for 100 blades. No subscription. | One-time order. Free US shipping from $125. |
| SplureBox Men’s Self Care Club | Skin care after the shave | $34.99 a month, or $29.99 a box on a 12-month plan. | Monthly from Czechia. Free shipping to the US and Canada. |
| Men’s Monthly 2 Bar Handmade Soap Box | Handmade soap for the shower | $18.99 a month, or $17.08 a box on a 12-month plan. | Monthly, on the 11th. Free shipping. |
| TYED BY DEDE Beard Grooming Kit | A beard instead of a shave | $39.99 a month, or $19.99 a box on a 3-month plan or longer. | Monthly, on the 1st. Order by the 15th for that month. |
The four Cratejoy boxes renew until you cancel, and each one offers a prepaid plan that lowers the per-box price.
The alternatives
Closest razor swap
Harry’s vs Dollar Shave Club
Harry’s works the way Dollar Shave Club does: a $10 starter set, then blade refills on a schedule you set. The Plus set comes with a weighted metal handle, one 5-blade cartridge, 2 oz of foaming shave gel, and a travel cover.
Best for: Someone happy with a cartridge razor on a schedule who wants to try a different blade.
What feels familiar
You pick the refill schedule, skip or cancel anytime, and can add shave gel, cream, or post-shave balm to the same order. Both brands refund an order you don’t like within 30 days.
What changes
Plus cartridges cost about $3.13 each in an 8-pack, against $2.50 for a Dollar Shave Club 6-blade. The Original line costs a little less, about $2.13 each. Refills ship every two, three, or six months, with no monthly option, and Plus handles take only Plus blades.
The whole shave routine
Tranquil Rose Men’s Shave & Grooming Box vs Dollar Shave Club
Best for: The member who liked the Shave Butter and Post Shave Dew more than the blades.
Tranquil Rose builds each seasonal box around a three-step shave: pre-shave oil, shave cream, and after-shave moisturizer. Handcrafted soap, shampoo bars, and a travel tin fill out the box, and annual subscribers also get a travel tote.
What feels familiar
Prep, lather, and aftercare arrive together, the same three steps Dollar Shave Club sells as Prep Scrub, Shave Butter, and Post Shave Dew.
What changes
No razor or blades, so keep your handle and restock cartridges elsewhere. Boxes come every three months, and each one is a bigger, pricier delivery than a refill box.
Stop buying cartridges
Henson AL13 vs Dollar Shave Club
Henson Shaving machines its all-metal AL13 safety razor in Canada and sells it for $89. It takes standard double-edge blades, and Henson sells a 100-pack for $9.99.
Best for: A daily shaver who is tired of paying for cartridges and willing to learn a new razor.
What feels familiar
A single handle you keep, plus Henson’s own shave cream and post-shave balm if you liked building a routine around Shave Butter.
What changes
There’s no subscription, and you pay more up front. Henson holds a single blade at a fixed angle, so the head doesn’t pivot like a cartridge. Expect a few shaves to get the feel of it. Henson says a 100-pack of blades should last two to three years.
Skin care after the shave
SplureBox Men’s Self Care Club vs Dollar Shave Club
Best for: Someone who kept adding face wash and moisturizer to their razor order.
SplureBox sends a monthly mix of grooming, skin care, and wellness products for men, all full size. Boxes ship from Czechia, with free shipping to the US and Canada.
What feels familiar
Grooming and skin care on a monthly schedule, the way face wash rides along with a Dollar Shave Club refill.
What changes
You can’t choose items the way you add products to a Dollar Shave Club order. There’s no razor, and boxes after the first ship around the 14th.
Soap for the shower
Men’s Monthly 2 Bar Handmade Soap Box vs Dollar Shave Club
Best for: A body-wash buyer who would rather try a new bar every month.
SUDuctive Soap sends two 5 oz handmade bars a month, made with goat milk and shea butter in two different scents, plus a mesh soap bag.
What feels familiar
A small monthly restock that costs about what a Dollar Shave Club refill box does.
What changes
It’s soap only. A couple of past boxes paired one bar with a whipped shaving cream, but you can’t count on one. Boxes ship on the 11th.
Growing a beard instead
TYED BY DEDE Beard Grooming Kit vs Dollar Shave Club
Best for: Someone putting the razor down to grow a beard.
TYED BY DEDE’s kit has six pieces: beard oil, balm, wash, brush, comb, and scissors.
What feels familiar
Dollar Shave Club sells a beard oil. This box puts the whole beard routine in one delivery.
What changes
The listing describes the same six pieces in each monthly box, so after the first one it works as a refill of oil, balm, and wash. The price drops to $19.99 a box on a three-month plan or longer.
The honest part
When Dollar Shave Club is still the better fit
Keep Dollar Shave Club if you shave every day and want fresh blades every month. Harry’s refills start at every two months, and none of the Cratejoy boxes here send blades. Keep it, too, if you like one order for everything: blades, Shave Butter, face wash, and body wash can each run on their own schedule, from monthly to twice a year.
How we chose these picks
We started with what a Dollar Shave Club order can hold, from blades and shave aids to skin care, body wash, and beard oil. Then we went through the grooming and self-care boxes on Cratejoy that can be ordered today and kept four that each cover one part of that well. None of them send razors, so the two razor picks come from their makers. The photo at the top is Dollar Shave Club’s own image of its Fully Loaded Starter Set.
Questions before switching
Which alternative is closest to Dollar Shave Club?
Harry’s. It sells a $10 starter set, then sends blade refills every two, three, or six months, and you can skip or cancel anytime. Its Plus cartridges cost more than Dollar Shave Club’s 6-blade, and its Original cartridges cost a little less.
Does a safety razor cost less than Dollar Shave Club?
Per blade, by a wide margin. Henson sells 100 double-edge blades for $9.99, while a Dollar Shave Club 6-blade cartridge costs $2.50. The catch is the razor itself: the Henson AL13 costs $89 up front.
Do any Cratejoy boxes include a razor?
None of the boxes on this list do. The Tranquil Rose Men’s Shave & Grooming Box covers everything around the razor, from pre-shave oil to after-shave moisturizer, so it pairs well with a handle you already own.
Can I send one of these as a gift?
Yes. Each Cratejoy box here can be bought as a one-time gift from its listing page, and gift orders don’t renew. Check the estimated ship date on the listing before you plan around a birthday.
Is there a box with more than grooming in it?
Yes. Our Bespoke Post alternatives cover monthly gear boxes with accessories, everyday-carry tools, and home-bar kits alongside grooming.
